(This “recollection” is also cross-posted on rexblog.com.)
My first ever accidental online “citizen journalism” (before the term existed) experience occurred ten years ago, today. Unfortunately, because of the ephemeral nature of the web and certain “wish we knew then what we know now” practices, there is no place for me to point to what I did on that day.
[After the jump, read about the Hammock ‘tornado’ photos.]
We decided about 18 months ago to create a new kind of website here at Hammock.com. As individuals, we were using lots of new online media approaches and technology — and were incorporating them into work we were doing for clients. Our site, while attractive, was not a reflection of where we are — as a company or as individuals. So we headed into a new direction.
[After the jump, read more about how Hammock.com is evolving.]
At Hammock, we appreciate the way in which new media and approaches allow one to share stories in ways other than the traditional linear approach. We demonstrated this with our 2008 T-Shirt map, for example. So it comes as no surprise that we were intrigued and impressed with a digital project in the UK by book publisher Penguin called, “We Tell Stories.” The project features six authors sharing six short stories in six weeks. Each story is told using a different set of online tools and approaches — the same types of of tools and approaches we believe can help companies and associations effectively share their stories with customers, members and others.
For example, the story, “The 21 Steps” by Charles Cumming uses a Google Maps mashup to present a round-the-world story. And the story, “Slice” by Toby Litt uses two different blogging platforms (LiveJournal and WordPress) and Twitter.
Yes, we’re impressed. Perhaps not with the stories themselves, but with the experimentation taking place. And by a book publisher, no less.
(via: Springwise.com.)
The Custom Publishing Council (note: Hammock is a founding member) has just conducted a survey called, “Characteristics Study: A Look at the Volume and Type of Custom Publications in America” that indicates custom publishing is thriving. According to the survey, in 2007 a record number of marketers used custom publishing solutions to promote their products and brands – with impressive results. Other industry reports show that spending on alternative media jumped 22%, with more advertisers seeking out new channels. Custom publishing can be expected to grow even more in 2008 with the increase in Internet distribution of content and creative new media solutions.
[After the jump, view statistics and other highlights from the Custom Publications in America survey.]
It’s been a while since I’ve made an “audio post” to a blog (I’m more “video” these days). However, some recent blog posts and Twitter comments by Patrick Ruffini inspired me to dust-off the Skype account and Audio Hijack software and give him a call. In 2004 Ruffini had the very Web 1.0 title “webmaster” for the Bush-Cheney re-election campaign. Despite the title, he ushered in some very Web 2.0 features and approaches to the site — and the campaign. Over 30,000 off-line “meetup-like” volunteer gatherings were organized on the site and over 5,000 websites and weblogs hosted the badges and widgets (remember, this was in 2004) that Ruffini’s team developed using RSS and XML. After the election, he ran the Inauguration website and later had a two-year stint as eCampaign Director for the GOP.
After the jump, read more and listen to the interview.
My friend Josh Hinds interviewed me on the topic of business networking. Here’s the link to the interview. Thanks, Josh.
At Hammock, we have a long tradition of adopting early any technology that improves our ability to create media and efficiently manage the production flow of highly complex publishing projects. We’re constantly pushing the edge on new ways to collaborate and design everything from magazines to the newest forms of digital media.
But there’s one tradition we have here that is extremely non-technical — and very old school. It’s a tradition we’ll never give up — even though we already replicate the process digitally and online.
It’s the wall. That’s what we call it. And that’s what it is: A big wall with strips of corkboard tracking lining it from floor to ceiling. We know it should have a more clever name, but it named itself before any of us could come up with one.
The wall is where designers post proof-spreads of page layouts during the magazine production process. As people walk by the wall, the spreads just beg for comments and so there’s always a handy red marker nearby. The pages grow and soon, the wall is full — sometimes with two or more magazines being produced simultaneously.
At some point near the end of the process, a “Wall Meeting” takes place and the editorial and design team gather in front of the wall for a wide-ranging conversation about the flow and pace of soon-to-be-published magazine. Is something not working? Should something be moved? Is there a gap here? What can we do to make this stronger?
Conversations. Debates. An occasional argument. They’re all a part of the wall tradition. It’s is a part of who we are and how we work.
We’ll never tear down this wall.
We’re big fans of the folks at Wired magazine. Indeed, in the Hammock Inc. Library, you’ll find a complete collection of every issue of Wired ever published. Flipping through the February issue we were reminded once more how creative they can be when we saw this spread in a feature story on “33 Things That Make Us Crazy” that includes some inside-magazine humor. It’s the first time we recall seeing the lowly blow-in card serve as the central visual element of an editorial feature.
While in the background (and on the website version of the story), you can see a photo illustrating the piece, the full impact of the design is experienced when flipping through a newsstand version of the magazine that is carry 3-4 blow-ins. If you catch it perfectly, the cards fall out into your lap, animating the story even more. We’re so impressed, we’d think the Folio: folks should give them an Ozzie award for best use of a blow-in card in an editorial feature.
It’s a bit fuzzy in the photo, so here’s what the copy says:
“You know all those subscription cards cluttering up this issue of Wired? Well, um … sorry. We understand you detest the deforesting paper rectangles — “bind-in” or “blow-in” cards, to use industry parlance. Honestly, we do, too. But they’re part of our business model. It’s not just about money, really — it’s about your eyeballs. See, advertisers pay based on audience size. And blow-in cards are a cheap way to snag subscribers and boost numbers: It costs a glossy monthly about $10 to acquire a new reader through one of those cards. But using direct mail? $25 — or more. We’d be happy to get your business through the Internet, which we hear is the wave of the future. But for now, just 10 percent of new subs come via the Net. And 12 percent come from those damn blow-in cards. The worst part about ’em? They cover up some really good stories.”
We’ll admit we’re also not the biggest fans of blow-in cards, but we now realize we’re huge fans of clever editorial concepts and graphic treatments about blow-in cards.
[Photo: Shot by Rex with his iPhone at Davis-Kidd Booksellers.]
Thanks to the many business news-related projects we work on at Hammock Inc., we have some fairly big Internet pipes delivering to us a constant river of flowing business information. In our case, this flow tends to be more “macro” news — we’re not tracking markets or individual companies — but I’m still amazed with the ying and yang of business and economic news: and how reporters and analysts even feel the need to pair positive with negative. Perhaps this isn’t surprising: business is a marketplace of buyers and sellers. Perhaps there is no such thing as good or bad when every transaction needs a buyer and seller. And while I don’t always view business as a zero-sum-game, perhaps there is something necessary about always seeing the world as collisions of bears and bulls, optimism and pessimism, greed and fear.
As I write this post, for example, I can see news flowing by that consumer confidence fell sharply in January, but the next item reports that just-released numbers related to factory orders in December indicate they soared.
Data points. A river of data points. You can short it, long it. Believe it, deny it. Bottomline: Everyday brings opportunities. Everyday brings set-backs. It’s up to you to choose how to use that information.
How do I choose to handle the data? I do all I can to stay informed. I lean into news both good and bad. I look for opportunities. I prepare for the worse. In the long run, I believe in — or, at least hope for — the best. In the longer run, my goal is to leave more than I’ve used.
There’s no mistaking it: We’re big fans of Flickr around here. We’re such fans that we’ve used Flickr a lot on Hammock.com to help power the site. And we’re constantly looking for new ways to use our account on Flickr to help us present and display our work — and share our company’s story.
So it’s no surprise we’re extremely impressed that the Library of Congress announced today (fittingly, on their blog) that they’re doing their own experimentation with Flickr on their page.
According to Librarian/Blogger Matt Raymond, “if all goes according to plan, the project will help address at least two major challenges: how to ensure better and better access to our collections, and how to ensure that we have the best possible information about those collections for the benefit of researchers and posterity.”
One of the interesting things about the project is that the photos posted have no copyright restrictions and, most importantly, the Library is allowing “people to tag, comment and make notes on the images, just like any other Flickr photo, which will benefit not only the community but also the collections themselves.”
So what does this mean for marketers who want to utilize new forms of online media?
We believe this is a great model for any library or archives — even those within corporations or associations — who have lots of old images gathering dust in files. Scan and post them on Flickr and let your community help you discover what treasures can be found on them.